5 Reasons Why Your Farm or Ranch Needs a Website

Short of a nation-wide blackout, technology isn’t going away anytime soon, and like any other business, having a professional website presence is becoming critical to the survival of that business. You may feel like farming is more of a lifestyle – and it is – but, failure to also treat it like a business could lead to disaster.

Like a lot of farmers and ranchers, you might not see the benefit of having a website, and how it can help your business and your industry. Or, you might think that a website isn’t affordable, or perhaps you’re not sure if your customers use the internet that much. These are all big misconceptions that can keep you from leveraging one of the most powerful marketing and communication tools there is.

Beyond the obvious reasons for any business to have a website – getting found online, obtaining more customers and making more money – there are other reasons why having a website for your farm or ranch can be very beneficial.

It’s all about credibility. I tell my clients this
all the time. These days, with competition in every business becoming a
bit cut-throat at times, if you’re NOT on the internet, the perception
is that you might not be taking your business all that seriously. Even
if you sell commodities and don’t sell directly to the public, having a
website that describes your farm, how it operates, what your goals and
business philosophies are can go a long way towards building public
confidence, not just in you, but in the agriculture industry as
well.While not having a website could cost you business, having a poorly
designed site is equally as bad, if not worse in some cases. Your
website is often times the first impression someone has of you, so you
want that to be as outstanding as possible. While cutting a few corners
and having a friend or family member build you a website might save you a
few bucks up front, it could definitely cost you money in the long run.
According to Adobe, 38% of people will stop engaging with a website if
the content/layout is unattractive. Beyond the design, people need to
find the information they want quickly and easily, so they don’t click
off and search out the competition.

Providing consumer education is critical these days.
We all know how much misinformation about agriculture is floating
around out there and we all need to do what we can to provide accurate
and truthful information about our farming practices. Consumers need to
hear it, straight from the farmer or rancher, and you are the perfect
person to tell your story!Beyond just being an online brochure, your
website can offer insight into the daily operations of your farm, giving
your readers the reassurance they need to have confidence in the food
you provide them.You may think that there are enough people on the
internet telling their stories about farming, but none of them can tell
it like you can. Everyone offers something different and unique, so
don’t miss this opportunity to share what you and your family do every
day to take care of their family.

A website can make it easier to find employees, vendors and partners.
These days, customers aren’t the only ones on the internet looking for
services and products. People looking for work, and looking for others
to do business with rely heavily on the internet to help them find those
individuals.Finding reliable workers in agriculture can be challenging.
I hear regularly from farmers and farm/ranch managers that they are
always searching for reliable employees who want to work, and they don’t
know how to find them. Having an Employment page on your website could
potentially land you that employee you’ve been hunting for, as you will
likely have more candidates than a farm without a website.

A website is more affordable than other forms of marketing.
While the initial cost of setting up a website can seem high, costs can
vary tremendously, but once it’s up and running, the cost is minimal.
Depending on your hosting service and your web design firm, costs can be
as low as $15 per month in many cases.If you factor in the cost of
print advertising and the limited audience you can reach with print ads,
can you afford to NOT take advantage of this powerful marketing tool to
reach such a wide audience?

Websites are always there when needed. With
different time zones, schedules and lifestyles, some people need
information when you just aren’t available to call. Your website can be
accessed by customers around the clock, to answer all those questions
while you’re working or sleeping.Potential customers or partners can
find out what hours you work, what products you provide, get important
Customer Service and if you have a FAQ page, they kind find out answers
to the most important things they need to know. This will undoubtedly
save you time and money, simply because it’s efficient and doing the
work for you.

Regardless of what business you’re in, it WILL benefit from having a professional presence on the internet, and agricultural businesses are no different. Be sure to represent your business – and agriculture in general – with accuracy, passion for what you do and the desire to provide real information to consumers everywhere. Even though you’re a farm, you’re still a brand, and getting your message out is vital to your success.

To read more articles about branding and marketing for your agricultural or related business, please visit my website at www.theresasheridan.com.